Napoli vs Bologna: Allegri's Crisis Match

Naples braces for a crisis afternoon. At the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, SSC Napoli host Bologna on Sunday, September 13, 2026, with kick-off at 12:00 p.m. local time – and with Massimiliano Allegri already fighting to keep the season, and perhaps his job, on the rails.

Allegri under the spotlight

Three defeats in a row have stripped away any early-season optimism. Napoli have been beaten by Como (1-2), Inter (2-3), and Arsenal (0-1 in the Champions League), scoring three and conceding six in that damaging stretch. It is the bleakest run of Allegri’s tenure so far.

The change from Antonio Conte’s 3-5-2 to Allegri’s 4-3-3 has not settled. The structure looks different, the automatisms are not there yet, and the squad is paying the price. A fourth straight loss, at home, to a Bologna side also struggling, would crank the pressure on the coach to a new level.

Napoli sit 12th in Serie A. That alone tells its own story.

Injuries bite, Lang returns

The situation is not helped by a lengthy injury list. Alessandro Buongiorno, Luca Marianucci, Scott McTominay, Giovane Nascimento, Alex Meret, and Alisson Santos are all out.

Alisson Santos’ medium-grade biceps femoris tear, suffered against Arsenal, rules him out until October. Meret, who managed only one half in that same defeat before a muscular problem forced him off, is also unavailable, leaving Allegri’s squad stretched in key areas.

One player stands to gain. Noa Lang, omitted from the matchday squad against Arsenal for non-sporting reasons, is now in line to step back into the fold. With Alisson Santos sidelined, Lang is among the main contenders to start on the right of Allegri’s front three.

Allegri’s projected XI is expected to read: Contini; Marin, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, Vergara; Politano, Hoejlund, Neres.

Bologna’s own problems

If Napoli are under strain, Bologna are hardly cruising. Domenico Tedesco will not be on the touchline, serving a suspension for this fixture, and his team have stumbled through the opening weeks.

Bologna have won just one of their last five matches in all competitions, and that solitary victory came before the competitive season began. In Serie A, they are still chasing their first win: a 0-1 loss to Atalanta, another 0-1 defeat to Lazio, and a 2-2 home draw with Sassuolo leave them 16th in the table.

Across their last five fixtures, Bologna have scored three goals and conceded four, a record that underlines their blunt edge in attack as much as their relative solidity at the back.

Tedesco must also do without Oussama El Azzouzi and Riccardo Orsolini through injury. Skorupski is expected in goal, with Bernardeschi, Ferguson, and Odgaard providing support behind a front line likely to feature Cambiaghi and Piccoli.

A fixture with early-season weight

This is not a top-of-the-table clash, but it carries a different kind of tension. Napoli in 12th, Bologna in 16th: both sides feel the ground shifting beneath them.

Napoli’s last five meetings with Bologna underline how awkward this opponent can be. The most recent clash ended in a 3-2 Bologna win at the Maradona on May 11, 2026. Across the last five head-to-heads, Napoli have two victories, Bologna have two, with one draw in between. Napoli did win the Super Cup meeting 2-0 in December 2025, yet Bologna answered with a 2-0 home success in Serie A a month earlier, in November 2025.

So there is no sense of guaranteed home comfort here. Not anymore.

Form guide: both sides searching

Napoli’s form line reads one win and three defeats in their last five games. The lone bright spot, a 2-0 away victory at Genoa in Serie A, now feels distant. Since then, Como, Inter, and Arsenal have all picked them off, exposing a team still learning a new system and missing key pieces.

Bologna’s recent record is hardly better: one draw and three defeats in their last five, with their only win coming before the competitive fixtures began. Their inability to turn performances into points has left them chasing the pack from the outset.

Two teams short on confidence. One stadium crackling with expectation. One manager under the harshest of spotlights.

How to watch in the United States

For viewers in the United States, Napoli vs Bologna will be available live on multiple platforms. The match can be watched via Fubo, UNIVERSO, Paramount+, DirecTV Stream, Peacock, and CBS Sports Network.

Fans should check local listings and streaming apps for exact kick-off coverage and language options.

High stakes at the Maradona

Strip away the tactical diagrams and the broadcast schedules and the stakes are simple. Napoli need a result to stop the slide and to show Allegri’s 4-3-3 can work with this group. Bologna, missing their coach on the sideline, need proof that their slow start is not the beginning of a long season spent looking over their shoulder.

One of them will leave the Maradona with a clearer direction. The other may find the questions about their season – and their manager – getting a lot louder.